The scent of life

If there is something I am completely fascinated by, it is perfumes. So, I decided to do a little research on the topic. The word "perfume" comes from the Latin per fume, which means "through smoke". The first perfumes were the result of the burning of incense and aromatic herbs used in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt in religious ceremonies. Egyptians even had glass bottles in which they stored this precious liquid.

The art of perfume making was further refined by the Romans and Persians.The latter introduced the process of extracting oils from flowers by means of distillation, the procedure most commonly used today.

Perfume arrived to western Europe in the 13th century. The first modern perfume,consisting of scented oils blended in an alcohol solution, was created by the Hungarians .

The industry developed in Renaissance Italy, and in the 16th century, Italian improvements were taken to France. This country quickly became one of the European centers of perfume manufacture. Even today, Italy and France remain at the heart of the industry.

Perfumes are classified into different families according to their fragrance notes. Top notes are the ones we smell immediately after applying the product. They only last from one to five minutes. The middle notes are the dominant ones in the perfume’s composition, and last for an hour or more, depending on their concentration. The base notes are the more durable ones, appearing 10 minutes after the application and remaining on the skin for  24 hours or more.


No one can deny the powerful emotional and psychological effect a fragrance can have on us.We usually underestimate the stregth of our sense of smell. The right perfume makes every moment memorable, and a scent can transport you to any time and place.

"Perfume is ... 'that last and best reserve of the past, the one which when all out tears have run dry, can make us cry again!"

Marcel Proust, Novelist.